Trial by Light
by Olikria Angelbane
Summary: After a horrible dream, Pyrus is disturbed by the images he had seen. When the Alliance encounters a mystical planet with mystical beings, the prince of Fire must face his fears if he is to overcome the darkness and save the life of someone he holds dear.
1. Fears and Frustrations

_Disclaimer: Shadow Raiders/War Planets is the property of Rainmaker and Trendmasters. This story has been written for enjoyment purposes only._

**Chapter 1: Fears and Frustrations**

"Don't you walk away from me! We're not done talking!" Pyrus heard the Lady Zera shout. She was infuriated and blamed him for her father's choice to endure his planet's "Trial by Fire." In truth, he felt bad for Zera and could understand why she was upset. However, he felt that it was not his place to interfere with the Ice king's wishes to undergo the trial. After all, the Vizier was right: if Cryos and the miner truly desired Planet Fire's allegiance, then this trial would demonstrate how badly they wanted it. As much as Pyrus understood Zera's fury, he was growing irritated with her persistent nagging.

"Get off my bridge! You don't belong here!" he shouted back. Pyrus knew that it was not proper to raise his voice to a lady, but he was young and still prone to outbursts of his own. He was a royal teenager under stress.

"...and my father doesn't belong inside that volcano!" Zera countered.

Pyrus was exasperated. He tried explaining to her that it was her father's choice to enter the scalding place, but she was too emotional to be rational.

"You're starting to get on my nerves..." he growled. He didn't know what else to say to the princess of Ice.

"Just starting?" Zera harped in surprise. "I must be slipping."

Unlike the females on Planet Fire, the ladies from Planet Ice were known to speak their minds. This one, in particular, was a stubborn one, and Pyrus just wanted to get away from her as quickly as possible. Taking his staff, he abruptly turned to walk away. However, in his vexation, he was careless, and forgot his father's warning about always having control over one's weapon. As he turned, he accidentally knocked the Ice princess off balance. As he watched her teetering over the edge, the fear in the pit of his stomach gnarled at him. Although he was irritated with Zera, the last thing he wanted was to send her to her death.

Everything happened as if it were happening in slow motion. As Zera's toppled over, Pyrus' reflexes kicked in, and he sprung to her aid. Grabbing her hand, he held on for dear life, fighting against the sting that occurred from the two elements colliding. It hurt, but he did not care. He could not let Zera fall.

However, it appeared that it was more difficult for the Ice princess to hold on. Although she tried, the pain was substantial, and her hand became slippery due to Pyrus' melting touch.

Pyrus wanted to shout to her to hold on, but fear paralyzed his lips. He was losing her. As she slipped from his right hand, he reached out with his left and grabbed her once more.

'Almost,' he thought. 'I've almost got her...'

He pulled, desperately trying to bring her back to safety. However, just as she almost reached the top, her hand slipped. He heard the princess cry in fear.

"No!" he shouted. However, it was too late. Lady Zera slipped through his fingers and fell towards the magma below. He watched in slow motion as she screamed and fell to her death.

"Zera!" Pyrus screamed. He could not believe that he had dropped her. It was his fault. He had knocked her off the bridge and failed to save her. As tears stung his face and evaporated from his fiery skin, he witnessed a darkness envelop his world. As he looked upward, he was shocked to see a behemoth of a planet engulf his world. The Beast Planet was here, and it was too late.

As the claw collided with the fiery world, explosions surrounded Pyrus, and he felt his body begin to disintegrate. He screamed in agony as his very being was engulfed in null matter...

Pyrus gasped as he shot up from his bed. He looked around to find himself within one of the more spacious rooms of the Aurora. He sighed in relief. It was just a dream.

He decided to get up and get a hot drink to calm his nerves. The dream was very realistic, and Pyrus was disturbed by the images he had seen.

As he entered the ship's galley, he heard some noise from the nearby training facility. Out of curiosity, Pyrus decided to see who was up so late. He was surprised to see none other than Lady Zera practicing with her staff and trying to strike the training bots that Tekla had made for her. It looked like Zera was struggling a bit; Pyrus knew why.

It was only six months ago that they had their final confrontation with the Beast Planet. When Blokk had them imprisoned within a cell on Rock, Pyrus and Zera provoked the Beast commander into slashing against the forcefield. The good news was that it had knocked Blokk out cold and released them from their prison. However, the bad news was that Zera was hurt badly. Even though Pyrus had taken the brunt of the blast, Zera was more susceptible to flame attacks. Her right leg was horribly injured and affected her balance quite a bit. Pyrus could see that it was this injury that was hindering her training.

"Can't sleep?" Pyrus asked, startling the Ice princess.

"Pyrus! I'm sorry... I didn't hear you come in. I guess I found myself distracted by these annoying training bots."

Pyrus gave a half-smile. Although the two were opposites in many ways, there were some similarities that they shared. For instance, when troubled, both had a tendency to get distracted and come up with excuses. He remembered when Graveheart caught him looking over the videos of the Beast Planet consuming Planet Fire.

"Don't get angry at the bots," he told her. "They're designed to help you improve."

Zera let out a frustrated sigh. "You're right. I guess I'm just frustrated by many things at the moment."

"Yeah? Like what?" Pyrus asked.

"Well, ever since Jade became the queen of Rock, I haven't had anyone to formally teach me, and my father no longer sees my training as being necessary, since we're no longer at war... but I love training. Nothing makes me feel more alive than practicing with this staff. All of my troubles disappear and I can just enjoy being free. You know what I mean?"

Pyrus did. This was another similarity that the two of them shared. Pyrus remembered training with his staff on his father's bridge. The Vizier thought it was a waste of time, but for Pyrus, it was one of his favourite pastimes. Zera understood this, and realized how special the place was to him.

"Yeah, I do," he responded.

"...and now..." Zera started. "Now I have this injury, which is slowing me down and making it very difficult to train."

Pyrus saw that Zera was not coping well with her injury. She was not used to being held back. Zera was always ambitious and determined. It was these two traits that both impressed and irritated Pyrus at the same time.

"It sounds to me like you could use a partner," Pyrus explained. "Training with technology will only take you so far. It doesn't understand your injury or your frustrations. I know you don't like hearing this, but it doesn't hurt to ask for help."

Zera looked down, feeling somewhat embarrassed. Apparently, Pyrus knew her quite well. She hated to be helpless, and she hated needing the help of others.

To relieve her of her embarrassment, Pyrus decided to share a story with her.

"You know," he started. "I haven't told this to many people, but sometimes I feel very lost without the Vizier. Actually, I feel rather guilty."

Zera looked up, curious from Pyrus' admission.

"You see... there are time when I feel like I was a very spoiled prince. I used my royal status as a trump card to get what I wanted. The Vizier would always give me advice, and sometimes I spat in his face. Now that I am living without him... and without my family... I find myself desiring their help all the more... and now I don't have it."

Zera felt pangs of empathy for Pyrus, and saw the remorse embedded in his face. She hated seeing anyone suffer, especially her friends.

"...but sometimes you made the right decisions," she explained. "I mean, I know that the Vizier meant well, but if he had his way, there would have never been any Alliance."

Pyrus knew she was right, but he feared that she was missing his point.

"I know, I know..." he said. "...but what I'm trying to say is... you have help available to you. Take advantage of it while it's here. It's a blessing, and it will help you get stronger. Asking for help is not a weakness."

Zera smirked. "You're starting to sound like my father," she said.

Pyrus laughed. "Well, he knows what he's talking about," he explained. "King Cryos is one of the greatest men I've ever met."

Zera smiled at the response. She loved and respected her father greatly, and it was wonderful to hear others—especially those from other worlds—praise him so dearly.

"...and yes, I do need help," she admitted. "However, as I mentioned earlier, Jade is too busy now ruling Rock. Who is going to help me train now?"

Pyrus smirked, pulling out his own staff. "Mind if I join you?"

"Well, if you insist," Zera responded, smirking. Although she did not admit it, Pyrus could tell that she was grateful to have him as a partner. He was a talented staff fighter, and she knew that he would be able to assist her well in her training. Even more so, she knew that he was a loyal friend and would encourage her whenever she felt down, which had been quite often ever since her injury.

As they touched their staffs to begin the training, Pyrus thought about the disturbing dream that he had awoken from. He considered telling Zera, but knew that she had enough on her plate at the moment. He just hoped that there was nothing more to this dream.


	2. To Feel, to Heal, and to Hurt

Chapter 2: To Feel, to Heal, and to Hurt

After they had finished their training, Zera had worked up quite the appetite and suggested that they grab a snack from the galley. Normally, Pyrus would have also been quite hungry, but his worries hindered his appetite. Nonetheless, he decided to accompany the Ice princess, figuring that it was better than lying awake for the Inferno knows how long.

Zera grabbed a full plate of moss and sliced canolies and filled her water bottle to the brim. Pyrus grabbed a portion that was half the size of Zera's and poured himself a small glass of water. Although the feeling of water was unpleasant in the throats of the Fire citizens, it was just as important for them to drink as it was for those of any other world. Water was life, which is why Planet Ice had been the most raided world out of cluster. Pyrus felt bad, thinking of how often the people of Ice lived under constant threat. Although Planet Fire had its share of raids, it was nothing in comparison to what Planet Ice had endured.

The two sat down across from each other at a nearby table. Lady Zera almost immediately began gulfing down her food. The girl was famished. Although he knew it was rude to stare, Pyrus could not help but watch the Ice princess in amusement. She was so small, but it looked like she could devour a lava dog.

Zera glanced up and saw that the Fire prince was staring at her.

"What?" she asked, bewildered. "I'm allowed to eat!"

"I didn't say anything," Pyrus replied with a smirk.

"Just because I'm a princess, it doesn't mean that I cannot indulge myself once in a while. A warrior needs her nourishment."

"You don't have to justify yourself," Pyrus said, still amused. "Training burns a lot of calories."

Zera then looked down and noticed the miniscule meal on Pyrus' plate.

"Then why aren't you eating much?" she asked. "If anything, you should be eating more than I am."

Pyrus let out a small chuckle. He knew that she was right, but he was not certain if it would be wise to tell her his reason for eating very little.

"I just have a lot on my mind," Pyrus said. He figured that it was not a lie; rather, it was just an omission of truth.

"Really?" she asked. "Like what?"

Zera was always an inquisitive girl. Although Pyrus would never admit it, he appreciated this inquisitive nature. It was this nature that made Zera into the intelligent being that he admired and respected. On his world, girls were raised not to ask questions, and were expected to only speak when spoken to. Before he had met Zera, Pyrus never thought about the archaic rules that plagued his planet; they just never occurred to him. Zera gave him something to think about. She challenged him, which, in turn, helped him to be a better ruler to his people.

Regardless, Pyrus was uncertain if it would be a good idea to share the horrifying images that he had seen in his dream. He did not understand what they were. He had saved Zera that time on the bridge, so why did this dream show the opposite? He had escaped his homeworld before the Beast had arrived, so why did he perish in this dream? Was it just a dream or was it something more? Pyrus was confused. Zera saw the conflicted look on the prince's face and became concerned.

"Is something the matter?" Zera asked.

Pyrus snapped out of his brooding frame of mind and focused his attention back on Zera. She looked different than she did when he first met her. She had grown quite a bit. Zera was nowhere near as brash as she used to be. She remained calm and Pyrus could feel her gaze sinking into him. It was almost as if she could read his thoughts. Part of Pyrus wondered if she actually could. After all, she did spend time with Zuma.

Pyrus thought about telling Zera that it was nothing and to not worry about it, but he knew that she would never buy it; she knew him too well at this point. He sighed and decided to tell her what had been plaguing him for the last couple of hours.

"I don't know what your take on dreams are," he started. "...but on my world, we always took dreams as signs sent to us by the Inferno. They were messages designed to educate, reveal, or warn. Our ancient texts are filled with stories of our rulers and their interpretations of dreams. The rulers who heeded their dreams were rewarded or spared from danger. However, those who refused to listen to them often suffered severe consequences."

Zera listened intently as Pyrus continued.

"These stories were drilled into my head as a kid. As the ruler of Planet Fire, I was expected to take all of my dreams seriously. The Inferno was to be revered and the ruler of the planet was its mediator... the "Lord of the Golden Light" as they put it. The Vizier was a firm believer of this. Part of me always wondered how much truth there was to it. The way we were brought up made me afraid to express my doubts... it made me afraid to even question. It just didn't feel right."

Zera felt very sad as she listened to Pyrus. She could not comprehend how difficult it would be to be raised in such a manner. Pyrus was burdened not only with many responsibilities, but many fears as well. She thought that her planet was quite strict, but now realized that compared to what Pyrus had to endure, it was actually very lenient.

"I'm sorry," she said.

Pyrus looked into eyes. The Vizier had always told him that the hearts of the people of Ice were as cold as their planet. However, Pyrus saw that his late mentor could not be further from the truth. He saw sincerity and compassion in the Ice princess. Lady Zera had the heart of a gentle flame.

Pyrus gave a gentle smile.

"It's okay," he told her. "I still have a lot to learn. Part of me thinks that I always will."

"My father always taught me that dreams could mean many things," Zera told him. "They could be completely insignificant and related to something that you ate before you slept, or they could be your subconscious trying to tell you something. It's hard to say."

Pyrus listened as Zera continued.

"What was most important was that we talked about our dreams, whether it be through writing about them or speaking about them to someone else. By writing down what happened in our dreams, we would be able analyze them and discern the meaning behind them, if any."

Pyrus contemplated her words. He realized that the people of Ice were far more open about the possibilities and were far calmer about discussing them. He already felt far more relaxed than he did earlier. He decided to be a little bold and ask her something personal. For some reason, he felt that he could be on that personal level with her. His gut told him that he could trust her.

"What kind of dreams have you had, if you don't mind my asking?"

Zera seemed somewhat taken aback by the personal question, but quickly regained her composure.

"I've had many," she said. "Some were terrible and others were wonderful. To answer your question, I often dream about my mother. I remember how she smiled. She was so kind and gentle. She had an amazing sense of humour, too. The way she could make my father laugh... she had a way with him that no one else did."

Pyrus listened to Zera chuckle at that last sentence. The image of King Cryos laughing was hard to take in. He sometimes wondered if the Ice king even knew how to laugh.

"My dreams could mean many things," Zera said. "Whether its my subconscious speaking to me or my mother, one thing is for certain: I miss her very much."

Pyrus saw that Zera was struggling to keep her emotions inside. He imagined that Jade trained her to toughen up and have control over her feelings. However, he was skeptical about how healthy keeping them in could be. His people were known for being hotheads, but one thing was for certain: they never repressed their emotions. Fire was the element that represented feelings. Pyrus knew that feelings were not meant to be hidden.

Although the ancient texts commanded the people of Fire to refrain from touching the opposite sex, Pyrus felt compassion for the Ice princess and reached out to comfort her. However, he temporarily forgot the consequences of his actions.

Zera jerked her arm back in pain, shocked from the burn that came from Pyrus' hand touching hers. She looked at him, surprised, but not angry.

Pyrus was immediately apologetic. He cursed himself. He wished that for once—just once—he could touch her without causing pain. His people adapted to survive the harsh heat of their world. However, that came with a price. His fiery being damaged those who were not of his world. He thought of Zera and how her people could heal others; more specifically, how she had healed him. He envied that ability. He wished so hard that, for once, he could heal instead of hurt.

"I'm sorry!" he said. "I keep forgetting. I didn't mean to..."

"It's okay," Zera said, cutting him off. "I know that you didn't mean to. It's sweet that you care. I don't usually speak to many people about my mother."

"It sounds like she was a wonderful woman," he said. "I never knew my mother. She died when I was born. I could tell that my father was hurting, but he never let it hold him down. There were many people who mourned the loss of my mother. They said many wonderful things about her. I just wished that I could have known her."

"I'm sorry," Zera said. She knew Pyrus had been through a lot. It broke her heart to listen to what had happened to him.

"It is what it is," he said. "The important thing is that I don't let it hold me back. Sometimes I feel sad, and that's alright, but it's important for me to not let those feelings hold me back. When I talk about them, I don't hold them in to fester inside of me."

"Well, you're a very brave prince to have endured everything that you have," Zera told him. "I can't imagine losing my entire family and my world. I don't know how I would manage."

After a momentary pause, Pyrus explained, "Before my homeword was devoured by the Beast Planet, the Vizier told me that my duty was to show my people that those of Fire are not afraid to do what must be done. All of these thoughts ran through my head. Part of me just wanted to give up, but I couldn't. I knew that my people relied on me, and I couldn't let them down. When you're a ruler, you do what you have to do."

Zera pondered the prince's words. He wasn't the prince she remembered from that first day on Planet Fire. Although he had lost nearly everything that was dear to him, the prince of Fire remained steadfast in his love and loyalty to his people. There was more rock in him than ten Quarriors combined.

"You really are a lot like my father," Zera explained. "...only with a flaming head and a hot temper." She smirked at the quip.

Pyrus laughed at her remark. Aside from Femur, Zera was one of the very few who could get him to laugh. Whenever life was dull, he could always count on her liven up the mood.

"I try," he responded, humoured. "Believe it or not, you're not too different from your father, yourself. He does what needs to be done. It took a lot of courage for him to abdicate the throne that time. He certainly cares about you a lot... and I can see that you're the same way."

Zera smiled. She truly did care for her father... and many others as well. The prince of Fire was certainly wise beyond his years.

Pyrus continued, "If you're anything like him—and you are—you would because you must."

It was at that moment that the prince of Fire realized that he quoted the words of King Cryos on the day he faced the "Trial by Fire." Suddenly, the Pyrus was reminded of the horrid visions from his dream and cringed.

"Pyrus? What's wrong?" Zera asked, concerned for her friend.

"I..." Pryus started. However, before he could say anything else, the ship's alarm interrupted him.

"What's going on?" Zera asked aloud.

"I don't know," Pyrus responded.

The two got up from their seats and headed for the control room. Something was going on and they were going to find out what it was.


End file.
